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A pair of disappointing squads will meet on the gridiron for some Sunday action as the Washington Commanders square off with the Indianapolis Colts. It is time to take a sneak peek at our NFL odds series where our Commanders-Colts prediction and pick will be unveiled.
In what was supposed to be a game where the quarterback that the Colts discarded facing off with his former team for one season, it will instead be backup Taylor Heinicke who will get the call. A week ago, Heinicke led the troops to a 23-21 upset win against the Packers. Now with a record of 3-4, Washington will no question give it their all out on the road to try to even up their record and keep pace in the NFC playoff picture.
One of the biggest headlines throughout the week, head coach Frank Reich sent sound waves across the league when he announced that not only would QB Sam Ehlinger get the start for Sunday's bout, but he will also serve as Indy's starting quarterback for the rest of the season. Without a doubt, this has to sting for future Hall-of-Famer Matt Ryan, as the 37-year-old quarterback has gone from the face of this franchise during the preseason to being benched only seven games into the season. Simply put, Ryan has unfortunately not been getting the job done as Indianapolis desperately needs a kick in the butt on offense.
Here are the Commanders-Colts NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Commanders-Colts Odds
Washington Commanders: +3 (-115)
Indianapolis Colts: -3 (-105)
Over: 39.5 (-110)
Under: 39.5 (-110)
Why The Commanders Could Cover The Spread
To everyone's dismay, the Commanders did the unthinkable and made life even sourer for Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, as Washington overcame a 14-3 deficit early before undergoing a relentless comeback in the second half. Evidently, the Commanders displayed an incredible display of resilience by clamping down defensively and even coming up with some big plays offensively led by Heinicke.
Since making his debut in the NFL, Taylor Heinicke has played with a chip on his shoulder. In his fifth season out of Old Dominion, the 29-year-old signal-caller is no stranger to the big lights that professional football has to offer, as he served as the starting quarterback for Washington in the 2020 NFC Wild Card Game. With a multitude of doubters around the league that are skeptical that Heinicke can get the job done, Washington will cover the spread if Heinicke can remain poised, cool, and collected in what should be a hostile Indianapolis environment.
Not to mention, but this hit-or-miss Commanders defense has an opportunity to make life a living hell for QB Sam Ehlinger, as they have the personnel to make some noise defensively. If they can have a repeat of last week in their success in shutting down Aaron Rodgers, then this will certainly take the pressure off of Heinicke and the Commanders' offense to score at will.
Why The Colts Could Cover The Spread
The breaking news out of Indianapolis was anything but shocking, and even though everyone was quite aware that Matt Ryan has not looked like his Falcons self, the fact that the Colts are giving the keys to the Lamborghini to an unproven, young quarterback in Sam Ehlinger to lead the offense on Sunday is bewildering. While Frank Reich's confidence in his Sunday starter is unwavering, the only true assessment that we can make about Ehlinger is how dynamic he looked during the preseason.
In fact, the former Texas Longhorns standout was no doubt the talk of the town when he lit up exhibition action in the month of August, and Indy would be ecstatic if Ehlinger can play even an ounce like he did prior to the regular season on Sunday. Simply put, similarly to the Commanders, quarterback play will determine whether or not the Colts give Washington a run for their money. After Ryan has been sacked 24 times already this year while committing 12 turnovers, the Colts are hopeful that the swift and mobile Ehinger can provide a different look for this slumping offense.
Of course, an explosive Jonathan Taylor performance has been well overdue, and even though the Colts' star running back got off to a slow start last season as well before erupting for 1,811 total rushing yards by the year's conclusion, getting Taylor his feet wet in his second game back after suffering an ankle injury will be of utmost importance.
Additionally, be on the lookout for three-time Pro Bowler Shaquille Leonard to continue to return to form and make his presence felt on the football field as he is recently coming off of nose surgery and made his return a week ago.
Final Commanders-Colts Prediction & Pick
With a multitude of doubters around the league that are skeptical if Heinicke can get the job done, it will be the Commanders' field general that will silence the haters on his way to covering the spread.
Final Commanders-Colts Prediction & Pick: Commanders +3 (-115)
